Overview
- The surge occurred on a narrow stairway when an iron railing broke, sending people tumbling in a packed passage.
- Officials estimated about 15,000 devotees at the recently opened Kasibugga shrine, far above usual turnout and with no separate entry or exit.
- The Venkateswara Swamy temple is privately built and unregistered, and organisers did not alert authorities or seek police crowd-control arrangements.
- Police registered an FIR under culpable-homicide provisions and detained temple staff for questioning as the state ordered a formal inquiry.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh for each victim’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured, and state leaders announced additional relief; most of the dead were women and one child.